Merrick Herald Life

Merrick

HERALD Calhoun coach runs for a cause

PTA president gets a parade

Merrick native back on track

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Vol. 23 No. 25

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JUNE 18 - 24, 2020

School election results Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District budget Total: $166 million Passed, 8,400 to 4,983 Proposition 2 — use of capital reserve funds Passed, 10,056 to 3,412

Jill levine Merrick trustee

Merrick School District budget Total: $51 million Passed, 2,678 to 1,238 Merrick School Board Jill Levine (2,763 votes) and Nicole Venditti (2,267) will serve threeyear terms. Butch Yamali (1,181) will serve a one-year term.

Nicole Venditti Merrick trustee

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

THE 2019 CAlHoUN HIgh School leaders Tara Cavanagh, far left, Senya Huda, Jessica Lin, Annalisa Zovich and Victoria Barone before they graduated last June.

Central District plans series of outdoor graduations By JUSTiN DyNiA and ViCToriA CArUSo aseidman@liherald.com

The Bellmore-Mer rick Central High School District was forced to shut down schools and shift to remote learning in March, raising questions about how the final chapter of the class of 2020’s high school career would be celebrated. Recently, administrators announced that each high school would hold outdoor graduation ceremonies

on June 27 and 28. The district comprises three high schools: Sanford H. Calhoun, John F. Kennedy and Wellington C. Mepham. High school principals informed graduating seniors and their families about the plan via email on June 8, a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that outdoor ceremonies of up to 150 people would be permitted in New York. “Although we recently announced our plans to hold a

walk-through graduation event, we feel that a slight adjustment is in order to provide our families with a more memorable commencement,” Kennedy Principal Gerard Owenburg wrote. Each high school will host six ceremonies on June 27 and 28, with roughly 50 students attending each. The ceremonies will be broken up alphabetically, based on students’ last names. Graduates will be permitContinued on page 3

North Merrick School District budget Total: $34.2 million Passed, 1,611 to 1099 North Merrick school board Incumbents Tracey Miller and Edward Corona won re-election with 1,346 and 1,321 votes, respectively. Edward Corona N. Merrick trustee

Butch yamali Merrick trustee

Tracey Miller N. Merrick trustee

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

CaLhOuN hIgh SChOOL girls’ cross-country coach Laura Cummings jogged down Patchogue’s Main Street last Friday morning as part of her 100-mile journey to raise money for graduating seniors.

Tony Bellissimo/Herald

From Merrick to Montauk, on foot By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

After sifting through countless fundraising challenges posted all over Instagram, Laura Cummings decided what she could do to honor local high school graduates, too. Cummings, the girls’ cross-country coach at Sanford H. Calhoun High School, ran 100 miles from June 11-14,

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starting in Merrick and ending in Montauk. She hopes to raise $127,000 so one graduating senior from each of Long Island’s 127 public high schools can receive a $1,000 scholarship. “These seniors have been through so much disappointment, from missing prom and graduation ceremonies to their spring season of high school sports, [and] I wanted to do something positive and recognize them,” said Cummings, a standout distance runner at Bay Shore High School, the University of North Carolina and SUNY Albany. “I have ties to a lot of different communities on Long Island, and I want to help as many kids as possible.” In 2019, Laura started the John Cummings Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of her late father to support local senior athletes. She accepted donations for her run via www.BeTheMountain. org, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be funneled into the scholarships. She raised $18,000 before she even left Merrick, and by the time reached Montauk, the figure swelled to $28,000. Despite a résumé that includes three Suffolk County high school cross-country titles, one state championship, a national title in track (3,200 meters), two NCAA championship qualifiers and the Olympic Trials this past February, Cummings had never logged 100 miles over a four-day span before. Her journey began in Calhoun’s parking lot around 7 a.m. on June 11. On each of the first three days, she ran approximately 20 miles in the morning and 10 miles in the early evening to avoid the heat. Well ahead of pace, she only needed to cover seven miles on Sunday to reach the final destination. “Close to 40 family and friends came out to Montauk to meet me as I finished,” Cummings said. “Things went pretty smooth. I couldn’t have asked for better weather.” Cummings’ route was a straight run along Route 27A from start to finish. Her uncle, James, trailed her in his RV, which served as Cummings’ home base. She took over night stops in Patchogue, Hampton Bays and Amagansett. Her mother, Eileen, and brother, John, were also there every step of the way. “I knew from the moment Laura agreed to help me coach that it was going to be a game-changer for our program,” said Joe Migliano, Calhoun girls’ track head coach. “She is kind, funny and will go out of her way constantly for the benefit of not just our athletes but any child in need.” Cummings is also the assistant coach for winter and spring track.

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Students share their thoughts on new plan ted to invite up to two guests, who will walk through the campus with them and onto the field, where they will sit in predetermined, socially distanced seating. Masks will be mandatory throughout the ceremony, except when photos are taken. Principals view the ceremony as an opportunity to provide students with a meaningful ending to their high school careers under unusual circumstances. “We hope that the plans we have for this year’s class help them to have a lasting memory of such an important milestone of their lives,” Calhoun Principal Nicole Hollings said. “It’s definitely different, and requires a lot more planning,” Mepham Principal Eric Gomez said. “This class has obviously gone through something that nobody else has gone through, and we want to make sure they have a positive ending to their school year.” The valedictorian, salutatorian and class president from each school will speak to the graduating class, but there will be no guest speakers or choir performances in order to keep the ceremonies brief for the masked attendees. At Mepham’s graduation, the school’s poet laureate will also speak. After the speeches, seniors will be called to walk across a platform, receive their diploma sleeves and be photographed. Each school will have its own version of a “walk-through,” with students able to take pictures and walk the halls one last time. After the ceremony, graduates will take home their senior portrait lawn signs as a gift. The ceremonies will be streamed live by Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting for other family members and friends to view, and each school will receive an edited video combining all six graduations. Calhoun senior Skylar Ransom expressed her gratitude to the district for working hard to give seniors the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments. “I’m so happy to hear we have a plan,” said Ransom, 17, of Merrick. “Graduation isn’t something you can just forget — it’s the last event that will finish the final chapter of your high school career. Not only is it important to the hardworking students, but to parents, grandparents and beyond.” The district “is giving us the best graduation experience possible during a pandemic,” said Kennedy senior Ali Shapiro, of Merrick. Mepham senior Jillian Mayer, of Bellmore, said she was disappointed that she would graduate with only one-sixth of her classmates, but she understood the district’s position. “I hope that the school district can have a more formal graduation for us later in the summer,” she said, “so that we can all be together before we leave for college.” District Superintendent John DeTommaso said that holding a complete graduation for each school was possible, but he could not say for certain. “We wanted to do something meaningful and memorable for our seniors now, but the goal later on is ideally to graduate the entire class together,” he said. “If more restrictions

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

Continued from front page

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Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Jake Gold/Herald Life

on graduations are lifted later in the summer, the district could consider giving the graduating seniors a more traditional sendoff.” DeTommaso used the words “grit” and “resilience” to describe this year’s senior class. He noted that students have reacted remarkably well to the challenges that life has thrown at them outside the classroom. “They have lost so much,” he said,

“but learned to overcome obstacles and do things differently, yet effectively.” As the graduating seniors leap into the unknown, DeTommaso said the district’s ceremonies would serve as a testament to their strength and perseverance.

outside the nYCB Theatre in 2019, then Mepham leaders Julia Caponi, top left, Rebecca Eisenberg, Gabriela Daza and David Collins showed off their mortarboards. after Crossing the stage at last year’s graduation, then JFK Student Government President Jonathan Mashal shook hands with Trustee Gina Piskin. This year’s graduation ceremonies will be much smaller affairs.

Nassau Coliseum to close temporarily due to loses By BRIAN StIEGlItZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

Nassau Coliseum will temporarily close due to financial loses sustained during the coronavirus pandemic, according to officials. Onexim Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the arena through its subsidiary Nassau Events Center, will keep the Coliseum closed while it searches for a new party to take control of the property. According to a statement provided by Onexim, the Coliseum saw a “devastating effect” from the loss of revenue usually acquired from New York Islanders hockey games, in addition to canceling all planned concerts and events. During the shutdown, Onexim, owned by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, paid Coliseum employees their full salaries, reimbursed its guests for tickets to events that were canceled and made restitution to those who booked events. “With the coronavirus, the whole world has changed, so it’s not surprising,” said Frank Borrelli, owner of Borrelli’s Italian Restaurant, which sits just east of the Coliseum on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow. Borrelli’s has long relied on drawing a crowd of diners from Coliseum events. “I’m trying to take it one day at a time and think positively,” he said, adding

that the restaurant survived a Coliseum closure before when the arena was under construction in 2016. “While we still believe in the enormous long-term economic value of the Coliseum and the development of the surrounding land, NEC recognizes that such value will be best realized by other parties,” the statement from Onexim read. “We cannot predict or control the actions of other interested stakeholders. However, we remain confident that the Coliseum and the proposed development project represent valuable investment opportunities.” All Coliseum employees will be laid off, and according to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Onexim is speaking with its lenders and potential investors to pay off its remaining debt. However, she added, the news will not stop plans to redevelop the 72 acres surrounding the Coliseum, known as the Nassau Hub. “We remain focused on development plans with RXR Realty, a strong and committed partner on this project,” she said. “Transforming the Hub site, important before the pandemic, is now even more critical to Nassau’s economic comeback. We have momentum, and the collaboration of community stakeholders, elected leaders, business and labor, to ensure our success.”

Courtesy Legislator Rhoads’ office

A loNG-AWAItED REpAvING of Merrick Road — which was delayed last winter — is now completed.

After long winter delay, Merrick Road repaving is complete By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com

A long-awaited repaving of Merrick Road between the Meadowbrook Parkway in Merrick and Newbridge Road in Bellmore is now complete, allowing a smooth ride for drivers and commuters to enjoy. Work re-started on May 14 and concluded on June 2; however, some traffic lines may still need to be painted. The project was delayed last winter when cold weather and constant rain and snow forced construction to halt near Babylon Turnpike and Cammans Pond Park. The original goal was to have a newly paved road in time for last winter, according to Nassau County Legislator Steve Rhoads. “Merrick Road has been an ongoing battle for me,” said Rhoads, a Republican from Bellmore who helped push for the project’s approval. Before the repaving, the road conditions were “atrocious,” and “utility work [made] the roadway

almost undriveable,” he added. The project was supposed to begin in early November, but faced continual delays because of utility work, Rhoads said. On Dec. 8, crews repaved a section of road between the Meadowbrook Parkway and Babylon Turnpike. The repaving needed to be done during the day, Rhoads said, since new asphalt must be laid in dry conditions with temperatures above 40 degrees, but temperatures had been dropping below that in the winter. In December, Department of Public Works Commissioner Kenneth Arnold said that completing the project by the end of 2019 was an “unprecedented repaving goal.” The department encourages utility companies to finish their work before road repaving projects, but in Merrick Road’s case, that happened too late last fall. “We appreciate everybody’s patience,” Rhoads said. “We’re happy to get it done before the Phase Two reopening and before traffic picks back up.”

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Wynta-amor rogerS, 7, with the Hempstead protest organizers, from left, Raina Lewis, Tiara Adams and Jada Gillenwater.

Scott Brinton/Herald

The girl who lit up the Twittersphere Uniondale 7-year-old adds child’s voice to Black Lives Matter protests By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

Seven-year-old Wynta-Amor Rogers, of Uniondale, stood in the shade of the red-brick Hempstead Village Hall on June 9, microphone in hand, surrounded by 200 Black Lives Matter protesters calling for justice for George Floyd and an end to systemic racism. “Wynta?” said emcee Jada Gillenwater, of “The Jada G Show,” which is shown on Facebook Live on Wednesdays. “Yes, ma’am?” the girl replied without missing a beat as the crowd laughed and clapped. Why, Gillenwater wondered, was everyone there that day? “We’re fighting for justice!” Wynta-Amor shouted, to cheers and more applause. This young protester electrified the Twittersphere on June 2, when a video of her marching and chanting at a BLM demonstration in Merrick went viral. This reporter took the video and posted it to Twitter during the protest. By the time the marching had ended two hours later, 25,000 people had viewed it. By midnight, a million. A week later, some 23 million, and the count continued to grow. Since then, Wynta-Amor has appeared at demonstrations throughout the metropolitan area, leading crowds in pre-march rallies, as was the case in Hempstead on that sunny Tuesday afternoon. “No justice, no peace!” she called out to the crowd, as she had in Merrick, and the people around her responded in kind. Without justice, she said, “we won’t have no peace. I’m telling y’all today. We all gotta fight for justice.” It was easy to see that day why Wynta-Amor exploded into the American consciousness — the viral video of her was shown on “The CBS Evening News,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” and the Oprah Winfrey Network special “Where Do We Go from Here?” A student at the Roosevelt Children’s Academy, she beamed charisma, smiling easily for the crowd. She sang. She danced. She understood comedic timing. She practices her singing and dancing while watching

Alexandra Brinton/Herald

Wynta-amor, center, With her mother, Lakyia Jackson, and Scott Brinton, the Heralds executive editor. Brinton took the viral video of Wynta-Amor. Kidz Bop, which features children singing popular adult songs. “I be like, that’s why I’m not afraid of the camera,” Wynta-Amor said in an interview before the Hempstead rally. In the 15-second viral video, she showed no fear. Her hands moved furiously. Her face displayed a righteous anger. In the end, she pumped her fist straight at my cellphone, on which the video was shot. Her mother, Lakyia Jackson, said the international attention her daughter has received has been “overwhelming.” “There have been so many people” who have shown interest in her daughter, she said, which she never expected when she took Wynta-Amor to the Merrick protest. Her daughter, having seen events unfolding on TV, wanted to take part in a demonstration, and Jackson, looking to educate her daughter about the BLM protests, brought her on June 2. At home, Jackson said, Wynta-Amor is the same little girl she’s always been. She watches TV, does her hair and nails with her mom, bakes brownies and makes Slime.

Her favorite school subjects are arts and crafts, math and language arts. She likes to draw pictures of her friends and the night sky. “I’m a professional artist,” she said. Wynta-Amor, her mom said, has sickle-cell anemia, a rare chronic disorder that causes red blood cells to break down. Jackson stays home to care for her. She makes custom masks and T-shirts to earn a living, but said that caring for her daughter is her “full-time job.” Wynta-Amor’s hero, she said, is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “He’s the leader,” she said. “He’s my leader, and I’m your leader.” At the June 9 rally, Wynta-Amor told the crowd that she just wanted everyone to live in peace. “Can we do that?!” she called out. “Yes!” “Can we do this?!” “Yes!” Gillenwater said that, years from now, Wynta-Amor would remember the protesters “were here for her.” “Our unity is our power,” she said. “Our disunity serves our enemies.”

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

A vIDEo thAt shows former Nassau County Police Department officer Edward Serrao using a racial slur has been circulating social media.

Twitter screenshot

Legislator seeks review of man who used racial slur in video Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages has called for the review of a former Nassau County Police Department officer who used a racial slur in a Twitter video posted June 4. The video shows the former officer, identified as Edward Serrao by Newsday, using the n-word towards protesters in Merrick. It went viral, accumulating more than 150,000 views on its original upload and more through various reposts. Serrao is also a former coach for the Nassau County Police Activity League, a police outreach program that runs sports teams for kids. The PAL logo can be seen on Serrao’s shirt in the video. “While it is important not to paint all police officers with a broad brush, in my opinion, former officer Serrao displayed obvious racial bias, and there is serious concern that such bias may have affected the way he carried out his official duties,” wrote Solages, a Democrat from Valley Stream, in a letter to County Executive Laura Curran and District Attorney Madeline Singas. “Convictions secured against minority defendants based on former officer Serrao’s testimony could be tainted by the blatant racism that he displayed.”

In the June 9 letter, Solages requested a review of Serrao’s arrest, as well as conviction records and any testimonies he gave as an acting officer. Looking into the case is “fulfilling his role” as the ranking member of the legislature’s Minority Affairs committee, he said. The video “captured an unfortunate incident in which a former employee was disrespectful and antagonistic using a racial slur towards a protester,” said Curran and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder in a joint statement on June 5. “In no way does his behavior reflect the commitment that the Nassau County Police Department has to protect and serve all people.” Serrao has not been a member of the department for two years, according to the statement. In another statement, Nassau County PAL confirmed Serrao was previously an officer, but has not been affiliated with PAL “as a paid employee or volunteer since 2015.” “We consider this behavior abhorrent and against our values,” the statement read. “For 80 years, the NCPAL has strived to prevent juvenile delinquency and aid in the development of good citizenship through positive interaction of youths and police officers.”

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Reopening Nassau

MSK doctor: Now’s the time for a checkup By Scott BRiNtoN sbrinton@liherald.com

The coronavirus pandemic, which swept across the New York metropolitan area from March through May, had a paralyzing effect, forcing millions of people to put their plans on hold — including plans for routine physical exams. That, medical experts said they fear, could put people in jeopardy. Now, they insist, is the time to have exams performed, while Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to decline. Dr. Diane Reidy, a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers, is the associate deputy physician in chief for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Regional Care Network. Patients, she said, have been naturally reluctant to come to hospitals, even when experiencing acute symptoms at times. People delaying treatment, Reidy said, is what doctors are “most nervous about” at the moment. MSK’s primary hospital is in Manhattan, but it has regional care centers throughout the metropolitan area, including a new 114,000-square-foot center in Uniondale, called MSK Nassau. It opened last April and is located in the southwest corner of the Nassau Coliseum’s expansive parking lot, next to Hofstra University. Cancer surgeries are performed at MSK’s Manhattan hospital, but chemotherapy and radiation treatment are

Courtesy Memorial Sloan Kettering

DR. DiaNe ReiDy, associate deputy physician in chief for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Regional Care Network, is urging people to have their routine checkups performed now,. offered in Uniondale. “Don’t forget about your health…” Reidy said. “A year could make a difference.” She acknowledged that the nation is “in very uncertain and sorrowful times.” That does not mean, however, that people should ignore their own wellbeing — quite the opposite. “We did what is right,” she said. “Peo-

ple did go into lockdown.” Now that New York’s economy is reopening, and people are beginning to emerge from isolation, she said, “there is an opportunity to say, ‘Let me think about my health. There is a period when it is safe to come back to your doctor.” Already, many patients have put off necessary checkups for three months or more. If people continue to wait, a second

wave of Covid-19 infections could strike over the summer or next fall, forcing patients to continue waiting. A few months of waiting would likely not affect a patient’s condition to a measurable degree, Reidy said. Putting off a checkup for another six months to a year could. “We just want to make sure that we are not a seeing a flood of cancers later,” she said. Cancer patients, she said, are understandably concerned about Covid-19 infection, given that many are immunocompromised. Not all are, however, she noted. Anyone suffering from leukemia or lung cancer is more vulnerable to the coronavirus’s effects. Generally speaking, though, cancer patients are no more susceptible than other people. MSK has adjusted its practices and protocols to ensure patient safety, Reidy said. Patients can now check in from their cars by texting MSK’s main desk once they are curbside. They are screened for the coronavirus in their vehicles, and they can then wait in their cars to be called in for treatment. Once called, they are brought straight to a treatment room. MSK is also experimenting with telemedicine to allow patients to check in from their homes, as well as well as consult with their doctors. If MSK is running behind schedule, the patient need not leave home. “Everything we do is for our patients,” Reidy said.

King Kullen, Stop & Shop nix merger plans By JameS BeRNSteiN jbernstein@liherald.com

Two of Long Island’s largest supermarket chains have decided they could not swallow a merger, and have rung up a No Sale sign. Bethpage-based King Kullen and Quincy, Mass.,-based Shop & Shop, said last week that the coronavirus was the prime reason to call off a merger plan, which was announced about 18 months ago. “A joint decision was made not to proceed with the acquisition because of significant, unforeseen changes in the marketplace that have emerged since the agreement was signed in December 2018, largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic,” the two grocery chains said in a joint announcement. They declined to comment beyond the prepared statement. The price was never disclosed. Both companies have a significant presence on Long Island. King Kullen, the nation’s first supermarket chain, is owned by the Cullen family. The company has 37 stores on Long Island, including five Wild By Nature outlets. It has stores in Island Park, Valley Stream and Hewlett, and a Wild by Nature in Oceanside. King Kullen has about 2,600 unionized employees. Stop & Shop has more than 8,000 employees on Long Island at 51 stores. The company has outlets in Glen Cove, Inwood, Long Beach, Merrick, North Bellmore and Oceanside. The chain is owned by Ahold Delhaize, a Dutch com-

Chrisina Daly/Herald

outSiDe of KiNg Kullen in Island Park. pany, that also owns Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford and Peapod, an online grocer. Retail analysts who followed the grocery store industry said supermarkets across the country have experienced strong sales since the coronavirus pandemic began, since they were deemed essential businesses and were allowed to remain open. The deal was expected to close at the beginning of 2019, but ran into delays. Neither company would say why.

But analysts speculated that the Federal Trade Commission had serious issues about the merger. The two companies themselves said the deal was continuing to undergo “closing conditions and regulatory review,” which included involvement by the FTC, which declined comment. But Robert Newell, president of Local 1500, which represents employees at both King Kullen and Stop & Shop, said pushing through a merger at a time of such uncertainty made little sense. The decision to call off the merger, Newell said, was good news for the union. “There would have been some contraction for sure,” in a merger, Newell said. He said the FTC’s prolonged decision-making process played a role in the decision by the companies. “We understand the FTC has been a pretty sizable obstacle,” Newell said. Additionally, Ahold recently announced a deal for its Food Lion chain to buy 62 Vi-Lo stores and Harveys Supermarkets in North and South Carolina and Georgia. Lisa O’Leary, secretary-treasurer of Local 342, which represents about 200 employees at King Kullen and Wild By Nature, said she was happy there would be no job losses as a result of a merger. “I expect King Kullen will continue to operate as always,” O’Leary said. King Kullen is one of Long Island’s largest employers. The grocery company was founded in 1930 by Michael J. Cullen on Jamaica Avenue in Queens. King Kullen calls itself “American’s first supermarket chain.” The Smithsonian Institution confirms that.

COaCh DENNIS RINgEL guided Kennedy to nine Nassau County boys’ volleyball championships in 12 seasons.

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watched so much film. He was always looking for an edge and to keep getting tbellissimo@liherald.com better. Dennis Ringel isn’t ruling out a “I’ve urged younger coaches in our return to coaching, but after 12 extraor- building to observe his practices dinary seasons at the helm of John F. because they were the perfect combinaKennedy High School’s boys’ volleyball tion of intensity and fun,” Papach program, he’s chosen to step away for a added. “His players never wanted to while to focus on family. miss a practice because of how he chalThe 45-year-old Ringel, a health lenged them each day in a fun environteacher at Merrick Avenue ment. They had great chemMiddle School, guided the istry year after year.” Cougars to nine Nassau Steve Gassert played an County championships, integral role on the Coufour Long Island titles and gars’ first state championtwo state crowns in 2012 ship team in 2012, and went and 2018. His first county on to win a collegiate Divititle came as co-coach with sion III national title as a Allen Ma in 2009, which junior at SUNY New Paltz set the foundation for the in 2016. most successful stretch “I’m excited for coach to any athletic program in take some time with his the history of the school family,” Gassert said. “He has enjoyed. was great to play for and “I’m going to miss so really made an impact on much about coaching, but all of the kids he coached. I knew there would be a He infects people with a point where a decision like CRaIg papaCh love of the sport. One of the this had to be made,” Rin- Athletic Director, most memorable things I gel said. “My kids are 13, JFK High School took from him is how spe11 and 9. They’re all heavicial it is to be part of a ly involved in different g roup all working hard activities, and I want to be there for towards a common goal.” them.” Papach added that Ringel’s body lanRingel said some of the things he’ll guage and demeanor during matches miss most are daily practices with the also played a role in the program’s sucmusic blasting, introducing for mer cess. “It was hard to tell the score by players to current ones and seeing par- looking at Dennis,” Papach said. “He ents of former players in the stands still knows more than anyone that volleyball supporting the team. is a sport of momentum. Even if we lost Kennedy’s Athletic Director Craig three, four, five points in a row, he never Papach said the biggest things that sepa- yelled or did anything to bring a kid’s rated Ringel from most coaches were his confidence down.” practice routine and dedication to prepRingel, a three-time Nassau County aration. Coach of the Year, said the state finals “You can find Dennis in the middle in 2012 when the Cougars swept Lake of February after volleyball season was Shore ranks among his favorite memolong over watching a video or reading ries. But, he said, every team he coached an article,” Papach said. “His teams at Kennedy “had a special bond.”

By TONY BELLISSIMO

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ulette Infante and her colleague Antonella Farrell created Project Unseen Heroes, through which they create personalized nametags for health care workers to alleviate the fear and isolation that Covid-19 patients may face. We have been working here together for almost two decades. We started as interns from Adelphi in 1996 when it was Schneider’s [Children’s Hospital]. We were in a bunch of different roles and responsibilities before doing what we do now. I’m an ambulatory nurse specialist and ambulatory administrator, so I work on quality and optimization for pediatric practices. She is a pediatric hematology and oncology pediatric sickle cell nurse coordinator. We were thinking of ways to help in the pandemic when we saw an article written by [Dr. Charles Schleien], who’s our boss at Cohen’s, and he wrote about his experience with coronavirus and how he couldn’t see the faces of any of the nurses who treated him. If you have [Covid-19] and you’re being treated, everybody’s wearing masks and all this PPE. You could barely make out who anyone is. Imagine how scared these kids must be. I would feel the same way being an adult. We created Project Unseen Heroes on April 11, and we’ve been making personalized nametags for nurses to wear to show the patients what they look like.

auren Horn and I had a lot of time on our hands at the beginning of quarantine, and we weren’t really sure when school would return. We’re both involved in community service, and we didn’t want to stop that. We were looking online for different community services to join during the pandemic, and we saw that one girl in Westchester started Community Against Covid-19, a free delivery service for seniors by teens. She had just started two weeks before I called her, and there were a couple of chapters but none in on Long Island. We woke up the next day and started making flyers and posting on social media sites. Within a week, we already had five customers, and it’s just blown up from there. We’ve already had kids from our school district and neighboring towns offer their help, too. It’s been amazing to help other kids our age be involved as well. All of our customers love us because we’re different from other services, because they only deliver from specific places, but we go to supermarkets they recognize and feel comfortable in. Places like Trader Joe’s and special supermarkets don’t deliver, so we’re able to get what they want — they can rely on us. A lot of seniors are unsure how to use technology, and during the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of those other services were backed up. People weren’t getting their food for two weeks, and people were nervous when they’d get their food.

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outgoing prinCipal, Wantagh high SChool

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arolyn Breivogel, of North Bellmore, has spent almost her adult life serving the families in the Wantagh School District. For 31 years, she filled positions from English teacher to assistant principal and high school principal. She is retiring at the end of the month, along with her deputy, Assistant Principal James Brown, and will be succeeded by Dr. Paul Guzzone. “I went straight from my graduation [from St. John’s University] to the classroom, and while I was teaching English in the classroom, I went for my guidance certification at night. “We’re still in the same building, but I like to say we’ve cleaned it up a lot, made it brighter and more inviting. “I became the assistant principal under [former principal] Terry O’Connor in 2001, and when he retired in 2008, I was asked to take over as principal. “Education has certainly become more student-centered during the years I’ve been working. [Brown and I] believed in raising rigor, making an environment where students can really reach their fullest potential. “School leadership is about three things: people, programs and plant. So we wanted to clean up the plant, paint it, keep it bright and spirited and inviting. And we hire the very best staff we can find.

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Wantagh Food ServiCe direCtor, aramark, Wantagh SChoolS

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n the beginning, we were only able to provide about four to five meals a day. Now, we’ve been able to do about 600 meals a day [for students in need in the Wantagh district]. Also, through the state, we’ve been able to do deliveries to family’s homes. They send me the address, tell me how many children in the household, and if they are unable to or uncomfortable picking the meals up from the school, we bring them to the house. The thing is I actually do live in Wantagh. I’m also a part of the community. I very much enjoy helping people in the same community I live in. I’m so grateful that I am able to help out. There are some families where both parents have lost their jobs. This is so helpful to them that we’re here at no charge. There are quite a few families here that are so appreciative. When delivery drivers show up at house, they see families crying being so appreciative. When this first happened, many of my employees did not want to come in. They were afraid for their safety. It was a little challenging in the beginning. You didn’t really know how many people you were going to get in a day, and we had to make a breakfast and a lunch for seven days a week. I personally wasn’t really nervous. I was nervous for my mom and my in-laws. I did the food shopping and dropped it off to the in-laws. I didn’t get to see any friends.

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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What’s up next door and around the corner

Herald neigHbors

Photos by Alyssa Seidman/Herald Life

OutgOing Birch PtA President Perri Thaler-Schlechter was honored with a car parade on June 10 for her service to the association. She was joined by her husband, Justin, and children, from left, Chelsea, Brad and Gabby.

Birch’s PTA president honored with parade By AlyssA seidmAn aseidman@liherald.com

the FinAle FAmily, above, including Birch students Deanna, left, and Jordanna, waved pom-poms and posters as they drove by ThalerSchlechter’s house. thAler-schlechter, FAr right, said she was “totally shocked” by the spectacle. secOnd-grAde teAchers KimBerley DePalma, near right, and Elizabeth Doheny showed their excitement during the drive-by.

Knowing they wouldn’t be able to honor their outgoing president at Birch School’s traditional end-of-year dinner, members of the Parent Teacher Association decided to surprise Perri ThalerSchlechter with a car parade on June 10. That night, Membership Chair Dana Isaac texted Thaler-Schlechter to come outside her house on Beach Drive, where a driving DJ booth blasted music and streamed disco lights into the air. Suddenly, a procession of nearly 50 honking cars materialized from one of the side streets, each decorated with posters, streamers and balloons. “I was totally shocked,” said Thaler-Schlechter, who served as PTA president for two years. “To be recognized was very touching since I was not expecting it. It just shows how dedicated and supportive everyone in this community really is.” Driving in the parade were Birch families, faculty members and PTA committee chairs, Isaac said, noting, “Many teachers who work at Birch but don’t live in the area [even] came to support her, which was really lovely to see.” For the past seven years, Thaler-Schlechter has volunteered her time to the association by serving lunch at Birch and helping to organize its annual Founders’ Day and Fall Festival events. “She makes it known that anybody can come to her for anything,” Isaac said. “She’s committed to Birch’s staff and students, and it was very beautiful to see her honored in this way.” Thaler-Schlechter said her time as PTA president was an “incredibly rewarding experience. “It’s special to know that you’re making a difference in the children’s lives,” she added, “and making it a wonderful place for the teachers to work.”

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

Working together to improve the health and well-being of the community

We thank and applaud the many community members who came together to open a temporary medical facility in Lawrence, New York. In partnership with Northwell Health, we served over 5,000 people across southwest Nassau County and southeast Queens. In the midst of the pandemic, this was an innovative partnership to provide routine and COVID-19-related care and testing to the community, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your vital efforts. We extend our sincerest gratitude to our dedicated partners:

Sh’or Yoshuv Institute Achiezer Community Resource Center Hatzolah Emergency Air And the many community volunteers Michael A. Epstein Chairman, Board of Trustees Michael J. Dowling President & CEO Jason Naidich, MD Senior Vice President Central Region Executive Director

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Michael H. Goldberg Executive Director Long Island Jewish Medical Center

HEALTH MEMO Ten NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery physicians named to 2020 Castle Connolly list

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en of the 26 physicians associated with Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery) have been named to the latest edition of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, an annual reference guide published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a New York City research and information company. They are: Jeffrey A. Brown, M.D. (Neuropathic Facial Pain Surgery), Jonathan L. Brisman, M.D. (Neurovascular and Brain Surgery), Benjamin R. Cohen, M.D (Spine Surgery), Vladimir Y. Dadashev, M.D. (Spine Surgery), John A. Grant, M.D. (Pediatric Neurosurgery), Roger W. Kula, M.D. (Chiari Neurology), Sundeep Mangla, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), Stephen T. Onesti, M.D. (Spine Surgery), John PileSpellman, M.D. (Endovascular Neuroradiology), and Brian J. Snyder, M.D. (Pain and Parkinson’s Surgery). “It’s a pleasure to congratulate our colleagues and partners for receiving this honor,” said Michael H. Brisman, M.D., the chief executive officer of Rockville Centre, NY-based NSPC. “Our practice has provided patients from Long Island, and elsewhere, with the most compassionate and comprehensive brain, back, and neck care available for over 60 years. The selection of these ten physicians to the 2020 Top Doctors: New York Metro Area confirms a tradition of clinical, and patient-centered excellence, at NSPC.” For decades, Castle Connolly has been conducting a peer-review survey to select the region’s top doctors based on the theory that medical professionals are best qualified to assess the qualifications of other practitioners. Licensed physicians vote

online for those doctors they consider outstanding. A Castle Connolly doctor-led research team then counts the nominations and vets the nominee pool with the aid of a number of screens, including confirming board certifications and investigating disciplinary histories. The firm’s Top Doctors: New York Metro Area guide lists those whom Castle Connolly has determined to be in the top ten percent of the region’s physicians – approximately 6,000 in all. About Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery) Founded in Freeport in 1958, Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery) has grown to become one of the largest, private neurosurgical groups in the U.S. with six conveniently located offices on Long Island. The practice’s experienced neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists are experts in “Bloodless” brain and spine surgery, including laser spine surgery, endoscopic spine surgery, ultrasonic spine surgery, radiosurgery, and other advanced minimally invasive techniques which are used to treat brain tumors, brain aneurysms, trigeminal neuralgia, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, chronic back pain, and other conditions. Visit www. nspc.com to learn more. Courtesy MSM Elite Motorsports Inc.

JOhN BEaTTY Jr. will race in the NASCAR 2020 opener June 21 in Pennsylvania.

Merrick’s John Beatty Jr. back behind the wheel

100 Merrick Rd., #128w, Rockville Centre 516-255-9031 • nspc.com

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Entering his third season as a driver for the MSM Elite Motorsports operation, Merrick’s John Beatty Jr. has been itching to get back behind the wheel, and will finally get to do so on June 21. Just hours after a highly successful test session at the Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut on June 4, MSM Elite’s team owner, Mark S. Mina, announced Beatty Jr. would race in the long-anticipated 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (WMT) opener at Jennerstown Speedway. Beatty Jr. last raced in October. “Mark invested heavily in our team over the off-season and it showed at Stafford, plus, honestly, we just wanted to turn some laps for the pure fun of it,” said Beatty Jr, who earned seven Modified Division feature wins at Riverhead Raceway since 2017 after capturing eight Legends Division features. “After we got on the track at Stafford with both of our new cars, we turned some phenomenal laps right off the trailer,” Mina boasted. “We got plenty of good notes for Jennerstown, and off that data we made the decision to enter so John Beatty Jr. can do what he does best: drive.” The Long Island-based MSM Elite team will venture to western Pennsylvania a day before the opening race, dubbed the Wade Cole Memorial 133, presented by Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair.

“We are all eager to head to Jennerstown for the WMT opener to see how we stack up against the best of the best in asphalt modified racing,” said Beatty Jr., who began his racing career at Riverhead and various other East Coast tracks in 2008. “Plus, we get to race in an event that remembers a true WMT legend in Wade Cole. It’s a win-win for us.” Heading into the 2020 NASCAR Modified season, MSM Elite had mapped out a vastly different approach to their racing plans, including opening night at Riverhead in early May. However, Covid-19 put everything on hold. “Riverhead has been and will always be our home track, but our plans were to hit the road for several NASCAR WMT races also,” Mina said. “What races those might be moving forward really depends on how and where the rest of the WMT schedule shakes out. We’ll have our eyes on what Riverhead does later in the summer too.” According to its website, Riverhead Raceway is scheduled to open Saturday, July 4. June 21 will mark the 14th career start on the WMT for Beatty Jr., who along the way has posted two top fives and four top 10s in 13 previous starts. While the opener will not have fans in the stands due to pandemic guidelines, every lap of the event can be viewed on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold free of charge. Race time is 2:30 p.m. “There should be upwards of 40 entries,” Beatty Jr. said. “The goal is always to win.”

June 18, 2020

WELLNESS after

COVID-19

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

Telemedicine is here to stay

Preparing for your virtual appointment

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s more doctors’ offices move toward telemedicine for those appointments that can be held remotely, patients should know how to prepare for these virtual visits. Sirisha Mohan, M.D., telemedicine lead for the Department of Family Medicine at Keck Medicine of USC, knows just how beneficial it is to have a remote medical appointment go smoothly. “Telemedicine is really improving our ability to stay connected to our patients in a unique time, where social distancing itself is becoming almost a precursor to additional health problems like anxiety, depression, elevated heart rates and high blood pressure,” she explains. “So being able to still see your doctor allows the patient and the physician to maintain that human connection.” Even under normal circumstances, telemedicine appointments offer specific advantages. “There are many benefits to telemedicine,” Mohan says. “Everything from saving money with parking, to saving an Uber trip or Lyft rides, to not having to take maybe the whole day off work, but being able to — in real time — see your doctor when you need him or her.” Here’s how to have a productive visit with your doctor from the comfort of your own home. Don’t let technology derail the visit. Make sure you have all the right software and/or hardware before the visit. Ask a relative or friend for help setting up your computer, tablet or mobile phone if you don’t feel up for the task. Test technology ahead of time if possible and download/install any updates so you don’t lose precious face time with your caregiver. Turn off other programs that might disrupt the visit with notifications. Also make sure that your devices are charged, volume is at an appropriate level and the microphone picks up your voice clearly. Plan for your appointment like you would an in-person visit. Write down any symptoms you’re experiencing, make a list of questions you want answered and have your medical history readily available if this is a new caregiver or medical team you’re

seeing. Set the scene. Find a quiet place to talk that will allow you a measure of privacy and a secure Internet connection. Although a wired Internet connection is preferred, if the most private place in the house is a closet or pantry, make sure your Wi-Fi connection reaches that far and will support a video conference. The area should be well-lit and allow you to have the camera at eye level, so you can have a direct conversation with your care provider as if you were in the same room. Take notes. Remember to write down any directions or treatment plans the doctor shares. Since you won’t be handed a physical prescription at the end of the visit, with directions on how to take any medication or with the next steps to follow in your treatment journey, you’ll need to have a pen and paper handy, or have access to your electronic medical chart, if available. Remember to make sure you have a pharmacy on file with the office; they will know where to send the electronic prescription and you will know where to go to pick up your medications. Give feedback after your visit. Let the team know what went right, what could be improved and if there are any ways the team can support your future telehealth visits. Most importantly, have patience with the process! If you are not comfortable with technology or find that it’s difficult to communicate naturally with the care team, ask a trusted relative or friend to help troubleshoot any technical issues, or sit in on future appointments to smooth over any communication mishaps due to connectivity issues. While it may seem scary at first, telemedicine could provide convenient access to medical care when you need it most. “Telemedicine is allowing us to connect with anyone who is struggling with either mental or physical health issues at this time. Sick or healthy, please reach out. Your doctors want to know how you are doing,” Mohan says.

Above photo: Telemedicine can be a safe and easy way to see your doctor from the comfort of your home.

Adjusting to a ‘new normal’

As we emerge back into the world, our outlook has changed It’s always the right time to commit to healthy habits, behaviors and steps to improve your physical and mental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic creating so much uncertainty and upending so many routines, experts say that focusing on the things within your control is particularly important. “At this particular moment -- challenging as it may be -- it is very important for all of us as individuals to recognize that our actions can and do have a collective impact,” says Dr. Patrice A. Harris, president of the American Medical Association (AMA). “A lot of people are grieving at this moment. Tragically some are grieving loss of loved ones; but people can also grieve the loss of employment, routines or the ability to be with family and friends. Everyone should know that these feelings are normal, and they should allow themselves to experience them.” Maintaining our physical and mental health will remain challenging during the unusual times of COVID-19. Channel your feelings of anxiety or helplessness into action. Practicing physical distancing and making sure to wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds are two steps that protect your health and the health of others. Create a safety action plan for you and your family. Also consider how small gestures — like offering to pick up groceries for an older or at-risk neighbor who may be anxious about leaving home — can make a big difference. Take care of yourself physically. Get as much sleep as you can, try to include fruits and vegetables into your diet, and make sure you move. With many gyms and parks closed and physi-

cal distancing in place, it may seem harder to work out, so consider options at home, including dancing, to stay active. Create new routines. With more people working from home and/or caring for school-aged children, the daily lives we had before COVID-19 are a distant memory. But building routines — time for work, time for meals, time for decompressing — is critical to creating a new normal. In the world today, there are so many things we can’t control, but our schedules are something we can. Take time to turn off social media and the news. It is critical at this moment to know what is happening in the world and to stay connected with family and friends, but if social media and 24-hour news are making you anxious, consume them in doses. Stay connected. Social media gives us a common connection point during times of isolation, but there is real opportunity at this moment to stay connected via phone calls and video chats with friends, family, and even people you haven’t heard from in a while. Physical distancing is important, but it’s still okay to socialize. If you have children, talk to them in an age-appropriate way, and avoid ascribing feelings to them. Don’t say, “I know you’re scared.” Kids are observant and they’re wise. They may know things are different, but they may not be afraid. Let them know smart people are working on ways to keep us all safe. Model healthy coping.

Above photo: Reset expectations and identify what you can do rather than focusing on what you can’t.

HEALTH HEALTHMEMOS MEMO

Don’t put your health on hold

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s the COVID-19 Dr. Adhi Sharma, Mount Sinai pandemic was South Nassau’s Chief Medical overtaking Long Island in Officer and Executive Vice early March, 26-year-old Roderick President for Clinical and Middleton of Queens noticed a Professional Affairs. “Those lump on his neck that was patients should not avoid care out growing every day. of fear of COVID-19.” Mr. Middleton consulted with The hospital has created a Rajiv Datta, MD, Medical Director safe pathway for patients and has of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s policies and procedures in place to Gertrude and Louis Feil Cancer resume elective surgeries. We Center, who was concerned by the have taken extraordinary size and growth of the lump but measures to ensure that all could not operate due to COVID. facilities, including the On May 20th Dr. Datta determined comprehensive network of Dr. Adhi Sharma it was best to perform surgery in outpatient specialized health care If you need emergency medical the hospital’s operating room to centers, are thoroughly deep attention, elective surgery or a remove the large cyst. Thankfully, cleaned and sterilized. procedure to alleviate pain or a the cyst was benign, and Mr. The Emergency Department, medical condition, now is the Middleton was able to go home Operating Rooms and all patient time to seek care. that day. units have been terminally cleaned If you need emergency medical with EPA approved, virus-specific attention, elective surgery or a procedure for a sterilization agents. The hospital has established dedicated areas for non-COVID that are isolated from medical condition, now is the time to seek care. units housing COVID positive patients. The Emergency Many people are risking having their condition Department has been reconfigured so that patients worsen by putting off care because of COVID-19 with non-COVID-19 ailments seeking emergency fears. treatment are treated in areas isolated from the area “We are hearing from our physicians that some for patients that are being tested for COVID. patients put off seeking care during the COVID-19 Patients visiting the hospital for any procedure surge for cardiac, oncology, and other medical will be required to undergo pre-procedure COVID-19 conditions that could become more serious,” said

testing at a drive-up COVID-19 testing site. The test must be performed no more than three days before the procedure. Hospital staff also are instructed to take all precautions, including wearing full personal protective equipment. The hospital remains under a no-visitor policy. Once visitor restrictions are lifted, the hospital will implement stringent safety policies for visitors. Social distancing policies remain in place within the hospital. If you had an elective procedure scheduled at Mount Sinai South Nassau, please call

your physician’s office for information about rescheduling or call the hospital’s main number if you need a physician referral at (516) 632 3000. For more information on Mount Sinai South Nassau’s services, go to mountsinai.org/southnassau.

One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572 • 516-632-3000

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

HEALTH MEMO Our Promise to New & Current Clients As We Navigate Coronavirus Your health and safety are Priority #1 as we all navigate the Corona virus pandemic. We fully understand that accidents will continue to happen; injuries and deaths will continue to be suffered; and injurious acts of medical malpractice will continue to take place.

Oliveri & Schwartz, P.C.:

New York’s personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death attorneys — winning compensation for the injured in New York

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he attorneys at Oliveri & unique and our case is tailored Schwartz, P.C. handle all to your needs. types of accident, personal • We work on a contingency fee injury and medical malpractice basis. If we don’t win, you don’t cases. pay. This allows us to provide you Getting quick legal represenwith the best possible legal tation is critically important. counsel we can as we seek quick Insurance company lawyers are and big results. already preparing a defense. Your Paul Oliveri and his team rights must be protected. Eviunderstand that an injury can dence needs to be collected. leave you struggling physically, Records need to be obtained. We emotionally and financially. We Paul Oliveri have a team of lawyers, legal encourage you to protect your staff and investigators ready to work for you. future and your interests by discussing your case If you are injured – or a loved one is killed – with someone who has the experience and profesmoney damages may be available to you as com- sionalism necessary to make the best out of the situpensation. Injuries and wrongful deaths cannot be ation and protect your interests throughout each reversed. Compensation, according the American step of the process. civil justice system, is money damages. But insurOur attorneys are dedicated to helping innocent ance companies believe ONLY in corporate profits, victims of injury-causing accidents by giving them and try to DENY full and fair compensation. the legal counsel needed to obtain MAXIMUM comWhen you retain Oliveri & Schwartz, P.C., you pensation. can benefit from the following: <bullet>We are available 27/7 so you can reach us whenever a question or concern arises. <bullet>We approach your case in a personalized manner because we know that your situation is

Paul F. Oliveri, Esq.

Wishing good health for you and your loved ones

Oliveri & Schwartz, P.C. will continue to provide our clients, prospective clients, your friends, co-workers, relatives, family members and neighbors with accessibility to our legal services, while taking necessary precautions to protect our clients and our staff.

We’re here when you need us, and can be reached 24/7

EFFECTIVELY IMMEDIATELY, WE WILL NOT REQUIRE NEW CLIENTS TO VISIT OUR OFFICES All NEW matters can initially be handled over the phone and online.

CALL US AT 212-987-1100 or 800-427-9546 TEXT US AT 929-600-4992

EMAIL US AT Info@OliveriAndSchwartz.com

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Call us at 212-987-1100 or 800-427-9546; text us at 929-600-4992 email us at info@OliveriAndSchwartz.com. Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.

Don’t put off seeking medical care, including elective surgery, in fear of COVID-19. Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 within three days prior to admission. Our frontline staff of physicians, nurses and support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases. Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.

DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.

mountsinai.org/southnassau

Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

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Photo top left courtesy of Jeff Basinger, Newsday.

June 18, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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WE ARE OPEN and scheduling in-person appointments at your nearest Long Island location

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Live your best life

Man Up and Get to the Doctor Don’t miss your regular check-ups and screenings. A recent survey found that 25 percent of men who were sick or in pain would wait as long as possible to see a doctor (Is there a prize you are trying to win?) and 17 percent would wait at least a week after the first onset of illness. If you have signs and symptoms of some of the most common diseases and illnesses, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, excessive thirst, urination problems, fevers, weight loss, numbness or persistent headaches, (basically anything that causes you to not feel like you) get yourself to the doctor. And preventative medicine? It prevents things! Keep up with your vaccines, your annual physical, and screenings like a colonoscopy. They’re important. Just because you feel well doesn’t mean that you are well. Physical activity reduces your chance for many illnesses and diseases. It’s good for the body and the mind. Studies show that adults need at least two and a half hours of moderate intense aerobic activity every week and muscle strengthening activities two or more days a week. Feeling tense or sluggish? Regular exercise, as little as 20 minutes a day, can improve your mood and energy level, decrease stress and boost brainpower. Make Healthy Food Choices Belly up to the produce section of your local farmer’s market or grocery store and stock up on a variety of fruits and vegetables. Consume food and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt and fat in moderation. These unhealthy foods should be an extremely limited part of your diet. They might taste really good, but they are slowly killing you. Choose healthier alternatives for more snacks and meals and you’ll live to eat another day.

Steps to a healthier you

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

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ovid-19 has the public rethinking rethinking our behaviors and lifestyle. While we’re still in the throes of the pandemic, health experts constantly remind us to remain vigilant about overall health. So for the men out there, June is still Men’s Health Month. It serves as a reminder for the guys to be proactive about their health. A large number of men don’t actively engage in preventative health or the healthcare system early in life. And the older you guys get, the less likely you are to get involved. There are plenty of excuses. You’re too busy. It’s too expensive. You feel fine. Or the worst of all,“I don’t get sick.” Heart disease, cancers, unintentional injuries, diabetes, suicide and stroke are some of the top causes of death for men. Many of these have early signs and symptoms, and can be prevented and treated if caught early. But society has traditionally expected boys to be tough and ignore pain. So you push through symptoms and hide your feelings, thinking this makes you more of a man. Unfortunately, that just makes you more likely to die from these conditions. In fact, the Men’s Health Caucus reports you will live about five years less than women. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventation says that women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor for an annual exam or preventative service than you. And according to other data, reported by the New York Times, by the age of 100, women will outnumber men eight to one. There are going to be a lot of lonely women in the old folk’s home, and a handful of extremely happy and worn out men. Wouldn’t you like to be one of them?

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Find a Healthy Weight and Keep It There This goes along with the exercise and food choices. We all pack on a few extra pounds as we get older. It’s the nature of the old age beast. But know your BMI and keep an eye on it. If you’re on the last setting of your expandable waistband, it’s probably time to get some exercise, review your diet and make an appointment with your doctor. Drink Alcohol in Moderation What exactly is moderation? Two drinks per day for men under the age of 65, and just one drink a day for men 65 and older. Some studies indicate health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, though those may not help all who choose to imbibe. In some cases, it may be safer to avoid alcohol entirely and the positives may not outweigh the risks. But if you’re going to drink? Don’t drive. Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. And if you survive, nobody looks good in prison orange. Smoking and Chewing Tobacco There aren’t many things that can have such instantaneous and long term benefits as giving up tobacco, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and lung disease. The CDC says that smoking tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, yet 20.5 percent of men are still smoking. You’re smoking yourself into an early grave, and it’s expensive. So why are you still lighting up? Manage and Tame Stress A lot of the men are workaholics and seem to thrive on stress. Note the word “seem.” You aren’t thriving. Stress leads to higher blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, accelerated risk for prostate cancer and even erectile dysfunction. And though ED won’t kill you, it might make you more stressed! Stress and anxiety also play a big part in depression, and many men resist getting help for depression or don’t recognize the signs. Men’s Health Network reports that men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, attributing much of the blame to undiagnosed depression. (The recent suicides earlier this month of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain drive home the importance of seeking treatment and finding a support system.) Play hooky. Stop checking your email at home or kick off early now and again. And those of you with umpteen weeks of accumulated vacation days? You aren’t heroic. No one dies saying they wish they’d worked more. Get Some Rest Many of you are up late at night even though you have to be up at 7 a.m. Or brag about how you don’t need more than four to five hours of sleep a night. Not according to the National Sleep Foundation, which says that your body requires seven to nine hours of sleep a night to stay healthy. Lack of proper rest is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and depression as well as accidents involving motor vehicles and machinery. So power down and hop under the covers. You’ll gain that extra time on the back end. Old habits die hard, but so do men who don’t take care of themselves.

Above photo: Don’t let the pandemic prevent you guys from focusing on your overall health.

That snooze matters Healthy living begins with ample sleep Taking steps to improve your mental and physical well-being may fall flat if you’re not spending enough time recharging your body. Now more than ever, as we deal with the stress of adjusting to our lives during pandemic, sleep experts agree: adequate, regular sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. According to a new recommendation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS), adults should get seven or more hours of sleep per night to avoid the health risks associated with prolonged periods of inadequate sleep. For the millions of Americans who do not make regular sleep a priority, this guidance can motivate healthier lifestyle habits. “Sleep is critical to health, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise,” said Dr. Nathaniel F. Watson, AASM president and moderator of the expert panel that developed the recommendation. “Our consensus panel of 15 of the nation’s top sleep experts found that sleeping six or fewer hours per night is inadequate to sustain health and safety in adults. We also agreed that seven or more hours of sleep per night is the recommended amount for all healthy adults.” No limit for certain individuals Recognizing that some adults need more sleep than others, the panel did not place a limit on how much sleep people should get per night. For example, people who may need nine or more hours of nightly sleep include young adults with

growing bodies, individuals trying to make up for lost sleep, or those who are sick. “More than a third of the population is not getting enough sleep, so the focus needs to be on getting at least seven hours of nightly sleep,” added Watson.“In general we want people to get more sleep, not less.” Prep for successful sleep What are some easy ways to ensure that you get the sleep you need for a productive and healthy life? Check out these five healthy sleep habits provided by the experts at AASM. Following these tips can help you develop a healthy sleep pattern: √ Be consistent. Go to bed when you are sleepy and try to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. √ Limit time in bed. Don’t use your bed for other non-sleep activities, such as watching television or checking email — or these days, even working! √ Make your bedroom a sleep haven. A quiet and relaxing bedroom environment will help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature but slightly cool. √ Limit the caffeine if need be. Avoid coffee, tea, soda and other caffeine sources in the afternoon and evening hours. √ Get at least seven hours. Go to bed early enough to allow yourself to sleep seven hours or more each and every night. Live life awake and refreshed with the proper amount of sleep. You’ll be putting your best foot forward every morning.

June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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GETTING BACK TO OUR LIVES BEGINS WITH OUR HEALTH. To our fellow Long Islanders: For months, we’ve all endured a crisis that has reshaped our world. And, although our daily lives will be affected for some time to come, we’re beginning to move towards some sense of normalcy and optimism. Along with the desire to protect lives, we all want to get back to living. And living well starts with your health. Your total health. That’s why we’ve instituted extensive safety measures throughout our hospitals and physician offices. There’s no need to ignore health issues or postpone procedures, because we’ve made it safe to get the care you need. The new summer is here. Now is the right time to refocus on your greatest asset of all—your health. Just know that, at Catholic Health Services, we’re here for Long Island and, most of all, we’re here for you. Sincerely, The Catholic Health Services Medical Staff

St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center® • Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center • St. Charles Hospital St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center • Mercy Medical Center • St. Joseph Hospital

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; June 18, 2020

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Bellmorite bikes in support of Covid-19 research By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com

Bellmorite Edward Diller is biking nearly 350 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island in support of Covid-19 research. The weeklong journey started on Monday, June 15 for Diller, 64, who began at the Canadian border, near Plattsburgh, New York, before making his way back home. He biked roughly 50 miles per day. The donations Diller collects during his trip will go towards The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research branch of Northwell Health. “I wanted to challenge myself, but also set an example,” Diller said, adding that he hopes to encourage others so they know, “you can do it, too.” This isn’t the first time Diller has biked for a cause, however. Over the past 10 years, he has collected funds for cancer research through the annual Long Island Bike Challenge, a nonprofit that he founded with his wife, Ann. The event has raised $285,000 for the Feinstein Institutes over the years. Diller started the organization with a passion for biking and more than 35 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. “I said to myself, ‘I can put these two things together,’” he said, “and I want to do it on Long Island.” This year, the Long Island Bike Challenge will return on Aug. 2, and all members of the community are welcome to

Photos courtesy Edward Diller

BEllmoRItE EDWARD DIllER is biking nearly 350 miles from northern New York to Long Island to raise money for Covid-19 research. join, Diller said. To register and/or donate towards the challenge or Diller’s solo ride, visit www.lichallenge.org. This year, contributions can be made to benefit Covid-19 research or cancer research at Feinstein. You do not need to ride to donate. There are three distances to choose from along the 85-mile total route, with a shorter option for less expe-

rienced riders. “Even if you haven’t ridden in 20 years, you can still join,” Diller said. On the route, bikers can lookout for Ann and other volunteers who will be handing out water and snacks to participants at five rest stops. “We want people to come out and ride and help in the battle against Covid-19 — something that’s

lIBC WAS fouNDED by Diller and his wife, Ann, and returns this year on Aug. 2. affected everyone,” she said. “You not only get to ride but contribute to this great cause.” “You can ride for yourself 364 days a year,” Diller said, “but this one day we’re riding for those who only wish they could ride.”

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Grosz vs. Tuman in the 4th C.D. primary race ngrant@liherald.com

Republicans Cindy Grosz and Douglas Tuman are going head-to-head in the 4th Congressional District primary race. The Herald asked Grosz and Tuman questions focusing on issues vital to the residents of the 4th C.D., which encompasses several suburban communities in southern and central Nassau County.

tuman: I believe the key is communica-

Herald: What issue or concern is at the top of your list for the 4th C.D.? Grosz: I want make New York’s 4th Con-

gressional District great again. Today, many residents of the 4th C.D. live in fear. Fear of violence and threats, fear of paying bills and not having a job, fear of possible illness and fear of losing a comfortable, suburban lifestyle. Congresswoman Kathleen Rice votes more than 70 percent with progressive Democrats and it has been a long while since she actually introduced legislation that has been passed into law. She has done nothing to alleviate the stresses and costs that have built under her term in office. I remember when the Nassau County Republicans were leaders within the country. Now, because of the Democrat representation, or more accurately, the lack of representation of Rice, we have no clout in Washington, D.C. today. Rice supports the failed bail and discovery reform that is putting criminals back on our streets and creates an environment ripe for the criminal element and gangs. Rice’s response to the horrific killing of George Floyd was not to call out Antifa and the rioting and looting that not only diminished the message of those protesting the killing, thus encouraged the protesters to spread throughout the country in an angry and violent manner. Hopefully, we have seen a calming in the protests.

tuman: When I originally set out to run

for congress, my top issue was to improve the districts infrastructure. Most of the 4th C.D. resides within the Town of Hempstead. As the commissioner of engineering for the Town of Hempstead, I have managed a capital construction budget of $25-$40 million per year while also managing $60 million of The Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery funded projects. I have used innovative technology to analyze and organize the Town’s infrastructure issues, which has allowed me to implement infrastructure improvements throughout the Town more efficiently and fairly. As a congressman, I would use the local knowledge I have acquired to strongly advocate for infrastructure funding to improve traffic and mass transit, fix crumbling roads, ensure we have clean drinking water, and fund large-scale projects to mitigate damages from the inevitable next big storm — like building floodgates along our shoreline.

Herald: What adjustments would you make to better support businesses and school districts once the coronavirus pandemic is over? Grosz: I chaired the first Long Island/

Cindy Grosz

Douglas Tuman

Party: Republican

Party: Republican, conservative

age: 57

age: 39

Hometown: Five Towns

Hometown: West Hempstead

Profession: Media personality

Profession: Attorney, Town of Hempstead engineering commissioner

education: Bachelor’s degree, New York University; master’s degree, Adelphi University

Queens Drive for Freedom as part of the national campaign to reopen businesses. More importantly, I have also been involved in discussions originated in Washington, D.C. to assist small businesses receive much needed help and support. We have to work hand-in-hand with business owners, big and small, to get back to work, but not on the backs of the taxpayers. During the pandemic, I have taken part in conference calls with top officials including Barr, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and President Trump. My contribution as a layman participant brought insight to the discussions. I expect to be able to bring more to the 4th C.D. as an elected official without the added tax burden that is already crushing the people of the district.

tuman: First, I would make sure things

reopen swiftly and stay open. The federal government cannot continue to prop-up an economy that is not fully open. It is not sustainable and it is unfair to the future generations that will have to foot the bill. Our business, schools and local governments need the economy to get back to normal for local tax dollars to flow again, so budgets can be met. Schools need to be open so parents can work. I have been a vocal supporter of allowing the resilient and responsible to get back to living freely, while we put our resources toward protecting the vulnerable. I would continue to take that stance to make sure we don’t overact and lockdown our entire economy again if another wave comes. I will always fight to make sure we allow citizens and business to practice common sense. I will work to help families, small businesses, schools and local governments

education: Civil engineering degree, Stevens Institute of Technology; law degree, Hofstra University cope with the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic by fighting for New York to get its fair share of coronavirus relief funds from Washington. New York is one of only seven states that sends more taxes to Washington than it gets back in federal spending. I will fight for tax relief by reforming and simplifying tax codes so our residents are taxed less, and by eliminating the federal cap on SALT deductions, which will put more money in homeowners’ pockets to spend in our local economy.

Herald: With regards to the George Floyd killing and seeing the number of protests throughout New York, what more can be done to address race relations? Grosz: I agree with the President’s Law &

Order stance. A civil society needs rules and laws to protect its citizens’ property and livelihood. I would advocate for a citizen and police commission to work together to keep both the welfare and concerns of the citizens of the community as well as the police officers addressed. This is not meant to be a temporary band-aid to cover up the hurts that are ailing our country. This should be a permanent commission that includes representation of the entire community. The commission should include law enforcement, social workers/guidance counselors, religious leaders, business owners and homeowners. There are other issues that are important and need attention. I have been on the record and outspoken about the black on Jewish hate ignored by the Democratic Party, other than press opportunities for elected officials suggesting we all work together. Where is the legislation? As an education activist, I wrote legislation five years ago that called for “edu-

tion. First, we need to all start listening and respecting each other more. Second, we need to unite and rally our diverse community around a shared vision of making the American dream a reality for all of us. We need to focus on what unites us and not on what divides us. We need to realize that there are those that benefit from keeping people divided and that they are not looking out for our best interests. We need to tune out the media and get off social media and come out of our homes and look at each other for what we are, neighbors. We need to come together and realize we all want the same things for ourselves and our families and that if we work together, we can create a society where everyone can safely act as individuals, with equal opportunity, toward their own pursuit of happiness. Each and every one of us needs to put effort into fixing the rifts in our communities. As a congressman, I will do my part by fairly representing all my constituents and will work to build a society that everyone can equally participate in and benefit from.

Herald: What makes you the best candidate to challenge rice? Grosz: I am running because I have the

ability to make success happen. My opponent has no experience with national issues, he doesn’t support the Trump administration’s agenda. I find it troubling that John Novello, former Town of Hempstead deputy buildings commissioner who was arrested on Sept. 5, 2019 for stealing more than $59,000 from the Cedarhurst Republican Committee has been brought on as one of my opponent’s advisors. Republicans need to restore the local GOP and I can help lead the way.

tuman: Ultimately, I am running for Con-

gress because I want to fight to make sure Frania, my 5-year-old daughter, grows up in an America where liberty, prosperity and equality is greater than ever before. Rice has lost touch with the 4th C.D. and the Democrats have lost touch with what it means to be American. We need a Republican in this seat who has ideals and values that align with the sacred and undeniable truths this country was founded upon. I am a strong believer in protecting individual liberties and preserving the American dream. I live and work in this district and I want to use my patriotic passion to improve this country by improving this community. I was born and raised on Long Island and have worked here in public service my whole life — from cleaning public park toilets as a teenager, to now managing the infrastructure of the largest township in America.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

cation oversight.” Our classrooms, textbooks and school assignments are filled with opinions, rather than facts, often filled with bias and prejudice. We have lowered the bar so much for success, that we have a generation angry and frustrated, and this policy is failing.

By Nakeem GraNt

25

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

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A. Some jobs seem

Monte Leeper

more unpopular than others. Who appreciates meter readers giving out parking tickets, except their few family members, or the people who make you form a line at the license bureau, but they have a job to do. Teco was a company that made metal connectors and brackets to join lumber together, strengthening structures because, unlike ordinary nailed connections, nailing at an angle to wood grain with properly spaced nails makes you safer. You won’t find Teco connectors anymore, since they stopped producing them over 25 years ago, but you will find other brands. Simpson is the leader, and they make hundreds of specialized brackets with tested spacing of many nails per bracket to resist heavy stresses and strains, which most people don’t realize even exist. Brackets that attach roof rafters to the ridge board at the peak of the house, for example, increase the resistance of your house coming apart in high winds by as much as 30 more miles per hour. If the house were hit by a windstorm, average homes built in 1950 to 1970 are rated for approximately 100 to 110 mph. Hurricanes and tornadoes produce winds high above that threshold, and one occurrence in your lifetime is one too many, but it can happen. When I was 12, my Toledo, Ohio, home was hit by a tornado and severely damaged. Fortythree people died in that midwestern storm on July 4, 1969, and we were fortunate that our home and family survived. Every hole in brackets must be nailed, not just some. The insulation substitution was a pennywise, pound-foolish idea, aside from defying code, which is a law. The amount of money saved from better insulation will pay for itself, over and over, lowering utility bills. Rigid foam strengthens the structure while acting as a vapor barrier as well. Fiberglass has lower thermal resistance, no structural value and less moisture resistance. The inspector was following common sense, and the law. They may only have required that affected structures get connectors, but adding them everywhere is advisable. The inspector wasn’t picking on anyone, just protecting you while doing his job. Stay safe!

© 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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Q. A building inspector just told our contractor the inspection didn’t pass on our renovation. We have a split and the first floor is getting a new kitchen, plus we are taking out the ceiling and making it taller. The inspector says the insulation is wrong and he only saw a few “Tecos,” but needs to see them all. The insulation on the architect’s plans was foam, which turned out to be much more expensive than fiberglass, so we switched it. Ask The Tecos are metal straps, I Architect think, and the inspector says he wants to see them and check the nails. Is this right? Do you think he’s being picky because he didn’t get a call before we insulated? The rest of the house doesn’t have Tecos, and he didn’t say anything about it. Is he just giving us a hard time?

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29

opinions

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he Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The heinous murder of George Floyd by a police officer sworn to uphold the law was an act of infamy that must again bend the moral arc of history toward justice. Like the murder of King himself — which galvanized the 1960s civil rights movement — George Floyd’s death must galvanize America to face some of the hard and bitter truths about race relations that still plague our nation. aLfonse Our founders, d’amaTo imperfect though they were, laid out the self-evident moral truth that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It has taken almost two and a half centuries to give meaning to these words for our black brothers and sisters. And still we are short of that noble goal. Too many black Americans find their liberty and their lives snuffed out by violence, too often at the hands of those who should protect them.

L

I believe that the vast majority of police are decent men and women who answer the call of public service. Many of our major metropolitan police forces today are in fact majority minority. In New York City, for instance, more than half of the force is now nonwhite, comprising blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other minorities. But a few very bad cops have poisoned policing for many black Americans. Floyd’s murderer had numerous citizen complaints lodged against him, some for the use of excessive force. Yet time and time again he faced no consequences, and was allowed to remain on the police force. The first hard truth we need to learn from this is that our police forces — and especially the unions that represent them — too regularly and reflexively defend indefensible police behavior. This is a serious flaw that publicemployee unions must own up to. When bad teachers are nearly impossible to remove, students suffer. When incompetent civil servants hide behind union rights, the public suffers. But when bad cops go unpunished, people suffer, and they die. This must change. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature are making a good start by

B

reforming “shield laws” that can be misused to keep police misconduct secret. Other policing changes are also in order, including more thorough screening of recruits to identify and weed out potential problem candidates, and far better training in police academies to stress de-escalation of potentially dangerous situations and the use of minimum necessary force to effect arrests. The best cops rarely draw a gun or resort to lethal force. They remember they are peace officers. But far-left ranting about “defunding” and even “abolishing” police forces is insane. What’s the alternative? In Minneapolis, armed “citizen patrols” of mostly black civilians — led by a city councilman who’s the son of Minnesota’s black attorney general, who is investigating Floyd’s murder — have taken to the streets to try to keep order in the aftermath of violence there. What would happen if one of these civilian posses inevitably were to shoot and kill someone — maybe even another black person? Who would be accountable? Who would answer? Would black lives still matter then? And there’s one other hard truth we must face as a nation. The overwhelming majority of black murder victims —

ut far-left rants about ‘defunding’ or ‘abolishing’ police forces are insane.

especially young black men — are killed by other persons of color. During the Memorial Day weekend in Chicago alone, dozens of people were shot, and 10 were killed. Most of the victims were black. Their lives matter, too. Unless the hopelessness, rootlessness and violent gang culture underlying many of these deaths are addressed, the killing is bound to continue. President Trump made a great move when he named black Republican Sen. Tim Scott, of South Carolina, to head an effort to develop proposals to deal with police misconduct and the carnage in black communities. People should remember that it was Trump and senators like Scott who drew up and passed the First Step Act, which is freeing many persons of color from serving disproportionately harsh sentences. The president shouldn’t shy away from building on the solid progress he has made on criminal justice issues affecting black Americans. He should double down on initiatives like “opportunity zones” to drive private investment into inner cities. Promote hope and justice. Lead, Mr. President. Black lives matter! Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.

Thank you very much, but I prefer to remain alive

ast week I received a happy-talk email from a bridge club out of town where I used to play. This particular club hosted hundreds of players at a time in a big indoor space. It was a veritable petri dish of germs in the best of times; in the time of Covid-19, it would be a wickedly dangerous hot spot. The club shut down in April because of the pandemic, and continued games online. The letter last week was from the owner, who said he was reopening because it’s all good. He Randi had been out and kReiss about, in restaurants and stores, relieved to see people mingling and getting back to business. He said his bridge club would open immediately. He mentioned that he has rent to pay. I wrote back, telling him that I was not willing to risk my life to pay his rent and, by the way, shame on him. I mention this small incident because I believe the plan to breathe life back into

the economy depends on a deal with the devil. The unspoken quid pro quo is that lives will be sacrificed for financial gain, and those lives will be mostly older people, those with underlying medical conditions and those who must go back to work in high-risk industries like meat packing in order to feed their families. What’s happening is a kind of national gaslighting, led by the gaslighter in chief, President Trump. According to Psychology Today, “gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality. It works much better than you may think.” The term comes from “Gaslight,” the 1944 movie starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, in which an avaricious and murderous husband tries to make his new wife believe she is going insane. She insists she sees gas lights in their attic at night. He tells her she is imagining things, although he has indeed been up there every night, looking for her jewels. Slowly, he unravels her sense of herself. The term is still used to describe manipulation and abuse focused on mak-

T

ing people question their own perceptions. The gaslighter keeps shifting the ground under the victims until they lose their equilibrium and start feeling “crazy.” Trump has refined the process of gaslighting during his tenure. In his version, let’s call it Gaslighting 2.0, he lies, or contradicts what he said a day or an hour or a minute ago. He dissembles right before our eyes. He tells us we aren’t seeing what we know we absolutely are seeing, like the strong-arm attack on peaceful protesters in Washington’s Lafayette Square two weeks ago. He makes up stuff, like vaccines that are just around the corner and treatments that can work miracles. He touts his record on civil rights while every single word out of his lying mouth contradicts his claims. This is his trick: He says the thing, then he holds up a sign behind it saying I don’t really mean this. Over and over again, for more years than we can bear, he has been gaslighting Americans with half-truths and outright lies. Now, he and his supporters are urging folks to toss away the masks, to shop and

he unspoken quid pro quo of the reopening is that lives will be sacrificed for financial gain.

dine out and party. He is urging us to take one for Team America. He invites crowds to his rallies while requiring them to sign away their right to litigate if they get sick. What I am observing is that even people who have been social distancing and wearing masks are coming under the influence of groupthink and starting to get together with friends and plan trips and get haircuts and enjoy dinners out. My friends, nothing has changed since the pandemic began. Those of us who are vulnerable must take care of ourselves, because no one else will. There is no civil authority to make and enforce rules that will keep us safe. According to The Washington Post, “More than a dozen states continue to show new highs in the number or coronavirus cases . . . The spikes provide disturbing data points in the ongoing tug of war between the economic costs of restrictions and the human cost of lifting them. ‘Worse times are ahead,’ said Joe Gerald, a public health researcher at the University of Arizona.” Like the bridge club owner, our country needs to pay the rent. But at what cost? Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

Yes, black lives matter!

30 Merrick

Herald editorial

Merrick

June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

HERALD HERALD and Merrick Herald News Established 1994

Incorporating Merrick Beacon 1950-2020

AlyssA seidmAn Editor Andrew GArciA Reporter Audrey cohen robert cumminGs Advertising Account Executives office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: merrickeditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ clifford richner stuArt richner Publishers michAel boloGnA Vice President - Operations

New York is moving ahead with police reform

J

ustice for George Floyd came swiftly in New York. During two weeks of intense protests at hundreds of locales across the state, Black Lives Matter protesters decried Floyd’s death and demanded systemic changes in the way policing is carried out here. Last Friday, the protesters got their wish when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a 10-bill package of reforms passed earlier in the week by the State Legislature. Among the reforms, the measures: ■ Repealed the state’s 1976 50-a statute, which shielded police officers’ disciplinary records from public view. (In the Floyd case, the Minneapolis police officer who killed him, Derek Chauvin, had 18 disciplinary infractions on his record.) ■ Banned police from using chokeholds.

■ Required state troopers to wear body cameras. Cuomo also signed an executive order requiring local police departments to develop community-oriented policing plans that are to be formulated with public input. The governor is giving the people a role in determining how they will be policed. Local governments have until next April 1 to redesign their police departments, or they will face the possibility of losing state funding. Those governments must account for the size of their police forces, the weapons they employ, their disciplinary procedures for punishing offending officers and a citizen-complaint process. Nassau County and cities and villages with police departments must hold public hearings to help plot the future of policing

here. In particular, Nassau’s communities of color must be heard. Hearings should be held in their neighborhoods to ensure that the maximum number of people attend and comment. If carried out properly, the process should be healthy. Police will face scrutiny as they never have before, but surely they will also hear from many grateful residents whom they have aided through the years. The criticism will be necessary in order to develop a set of regulations and guidelines to make sure there is never again a death like that suffered by Floyd. The majority of police are hardworking, decent people. No doubt, they do not deserve to be lumped in with the likes of Chauvin. This process, if done right, will not do that. Rather, it will focus on the policies and protocols needed to reform a system that is long overdo for an overhaul.

■ scott brinton Executive Edtitor Jim hArmon

Copy Editor christinA dAly Photo Editor tony bellissimo Sports Editor KAren bloom Calendar Editor ■ rhondA GlicKmAn Vice President - Sales ellen reynolds Classified Manager lori berGer Digital Sales Manager ■

Jeffrey neGrin Creative Director crAiG white Production Coordinator crAiG cArdone Art Director ■ diAnne rAmdAss Circulation Director

o

For goodness’ sake, wear a mask

n May 30, a Herald editor conducted an informal, small-scale survey, counting the number of people with masks whom he passed while walking at the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick. The count wasn’t even close. Eightyfour people were wearing masks, while 42 weren’t. That is, two-thirds wore masks. The same editor conducted the same survey just over two weeks later, on June 14. This time, the results were very different. Seventy-eight people weren’t wearing masks, while 20 were. That is, 79 percent of people had no face covering, while 21 percent did. What does this tell us? Perhaps nothing

— after all, this was a small survey, conducted at one location on only two days. On the other hand, it could indicate an attitudinal shift — perhaps people believe the worst of the coronavirus crisis is behind us, so they no longer have to wear masks. There was seemingly no reason not to wear a mask last Sunday. The temperature was in the low 70s, with virtually no humidity and a slight breeze, so you didn’t feel stifled by the weather while wearing one. Have people become apathetic? We hope not. The virus still lurks among us. It’s out there, waiting to strike. If we don’t take the most basic precautions, like wearing

■

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Published by richner communications, inc. 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 569-4000

letters Thank you for your coverage To the Editor: My husband, Mark, and I have been activists for many years and have been to protests about the environment, education, justice for all, women’s rights, campaign finance reform and other issues. The past couple of weeks since the death of George Floyd have been amazing to see. The number of young people coming out to protest against systemic racism is proof that millennials and younger people believe in equal justice for all — it’s an issue that has finally exploded. I believe there are so many young people in the streets because there is no college, no high school and many people are out of work; therefore, they can be out there protesting. Hopefully they are being careful, and we will not have an uptick in Covid-19, but it certainly helped to make the point of how important this issue is to them.

masks and staying six feet apart from people other than our immediate family members, then we could very well be in for a second wave of infection. We’re already seeing second waves in other parts of the country. A number of states reopened too fast, without coherent plans. Now they are suffering with rapidly rising hospitalization rates. Thanks to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s leadership, New York has taken a careful, calculated approach to reopening its economy. The state has done all it can to ensure that the infection rate remains low. Now individual actions will determine whether we remain on course to recovery — both the health of our citizens and our economy.

31

opinions

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hy did George Floyd’s death bring our nation to its knees? wondered Ava Marie DuVernay, the director of the 2014 film “Selma,” about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s organizing activities in Selma, Ala., in 1965. DuVernay was speaking last week on the second night of Oprah Winfrey’s twopart special, “Where Do We Go from Here?” on OWN. I desperately wanted to hear her thoughts. The sight of Floyd lying facedown on the asphalt with a Minneapolis police officer’s scott knee pressed into Brinton his neck had haunted me for days. DuVernay’s question burned in my mind. “I usually don’t see the officer,” she remarked. Many times before, black men had been beaten or shot down by rogue police officers. Never, however, had we seen an offending officer’s face in the same frame as the victim. The black man was usually shown running away, or the incident took place at night, and all involved were obscured by darkness. In this case, we could see, by the light of day, the now ex-officer — Derek Chauvin — slowly suffocating Floyd as he begged for his dead mother. The public — black and white — understood his pain, his anguish, his fear. There could be no excuse making, no

misunderstood cues on Chauvin’s part. Floyd was handcuffed and helpless. Chauvin had a solemn obligation to preserve Floyd’s life. He failed. In the very same frame, we can see both Chauvin’s and Floyd’s eyes — Chauvin, merciless, Floyd, increasingly hopeless, understanding he will soon lose his life, his face buried in the street. We understand the interplay between the two: Chauvin applying force to Floyd’s neck was a symbol of dominance over him. In effect, the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that he held his knee to Floyd encapsulated 400 years of oppression that black people have faced in North America, first through 246 years of slavery in the American colonies and then the United States, followed by 154 years of structural racism. Yes, systemic racism is real, Floyd’s death screamed to the nation. It was proof positive of its existence. There was no ambiguity. Only the most racist of minds would be incapable of understanding the concept — and of sympathizing with Floyd or any person of color. I watched “Selma” over the weekend. It’s a beautiful film, painstaking in its attention to detail and commitment to historical accuracy. King came to Selma understanding how deeply racism ran through that small southern city. He knew there would be trouble, and he hoped to have it captured for all to see in the national news outlets. But King miscalculated the ruthless-

i

t was the first time we saw the faces of both the killer and the victim in the same frame.

Letters My husband and I are too nervous to protest, since we are in our 60s, but when I saw the number of people protesting in Merrick — having protested in Washington, D.C. — I was so excited. Mainstream media has ignored the previous protests on Long Island, but I actually saw Merrick’s protest on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” Now that’s making it big! I wanted to write this letter to thank you for putting out such a fabulous paper this week (June 11-17). It had such inspiring pictures and stories of the protests, and I will save it to remember the time that Merrick made a difference. We have lived here since 1982, and we have never been prouder of our community. They proved to people that black lives matter, and that we should all be treated equally. The protesters views are more powerful than the few people who were spewing hate, and

ness of Alabama state and local police, who descended on 525 protest marchers on what became known as Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965. The demonstrators tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, named for a Confederate officer who later became a Ku Klux Klan grand dragon and U.S. senator. The marchers were headed to Montgomery, the state’s capital, a 50-mile walk. Police blocked their passage, rushed at them, beat them with billy clubs and sprayed them with tear gas. The march organizer, Amelia Boynton, was knocked unconscious. John Lewis, a student protester, suffered a concussion. He went on to join Congress in 1987, representing Georgia’s 5th District. Today, at 80, he is still in the House. King himself wasn’t there that day. He later led two marches in Selma, including the final one that led to Montgomery. I realized I had witnessed a smaller version of Selma on Merrick Road in Merrick on June 2. A group of 150 Black Lives Matter protesters, seeking justice for George Floyd, planned to march on the sidewalk when they were stopped by a group of about 30 counterprotesters. I was covering the demonstration for the Herald. The counterprotesters shouted at the demonstrators to go back home and pointed west to Freeport, which has a mix of black, Latino and white people. Two young people among the counterprotesters draped themselves in the Ameri-

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 18, 2020

How George Floyd’s death brought us to our knees

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can flag. Nassau County police eventually escorted the BLM demonstrators around the counterprotesters. I was focused on photographing the demonstrators. Later nous m officer on, in video footage, I saw the anger in the counterprotesters as the demonstra- act of i tors passed by. One man was seen giving moral Like them the finger, an image that precisely mirrored the reaction of one white man caught on film watching the beat-down in Selma 55 years earlier. Some 25,000 people from around the country marched in Selma after Bloody Sunday. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, doing away with voting restrictions like the poll tax that had prevented most black people from voting in the South. An estimated 10,000 BLM protesters came to Merrick and Bellmore from June 3 to 7. Their demonstrations were among hundreds statewide. Last Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a sweeping legismoral lation package that, among other measures, did away with Section 50-a of the equal, state Civil Rights Law, which protected ator wi police disciplinary records from public among suit of view. It appears, as King noted, “the arc of two an the moral universe is long, but it bends to thes sisters toward justice.” noble g find th Scott Brinton is the Herald Community out by Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra Universi- those w ty Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@ liherald.com.

FrameWork by Roni Chastain

we need to show these hate-mongers in the November election who our country really is. I also wanted to compliment the Nassau County Police Department for its professionalism and making sure all the protesters were allowed to protest safely. We believe that all the young people who have been out in the streets across this country will come out and vote and prove that we are a country that believes in liberty and justice for all.

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of play It was a the bes it woul spot.

HELENE MANAS Merrick Editor’s note: The video used by “The Rachel Maddow Show” was shot by Heralds Executive Editor Scott Brinton, who was among the reporters covering the protests in Merrick and Bellmore. The others were Alyssa Seidman and Andrew Garcia.

A reminder from someone in the know — wear your mask in public.

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June 18, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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